Saint Martin
- proper noun
- /seɪnt ˈmɑrtɪn/
:
San Martín
- With this bank... the town of Saint Martin enters the modern world.
Examples
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Today, we dedicate the Royal Bank of Saint Martin.
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No man nor an army... can ever rob the gold from Saint Martin.
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Buried in an unmarked grave on the Isle of Saint Martin.
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A boy who paddled all the way to Saint Martin against the tide on a piece of driftwood.
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She spent her honeymoon on Saint Martin, enjoying the warm weather and crystal-clear waters.
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The island of Saint Martin is known for its unique blend of French and Dutch cultures.
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Tourists flock to Saint Martin for its beautiful beaches and vibrant nightlife.
Synonyms
An island in the northeast Caribbean shared by France and the Netherlands
An island in the Caribbean shared by France and the Netherlands
An island in the Caribbean divided between France and the Netherlands
Surface Forms
Morphology
The form 'Saint Martin' transparently combines 'saint' and the proper name 'Martin', and learners can readily infer it denotes something named after a saint (often a place). However, the precise meaning 'an island in the northeastern Caribbean divided between French and Dutch administrations' is specific world knowledge and not predictable from the constituents alone, so the expression is only partially transparent to a B1 learner.
Etymology
Saint Martin was named by early explorers who say they saw the island on 'Saint Martin's Day', so they called it after the saint. That's why Saint Martin is the name of the Caribbean island now split between the French and the Dutch side.
